Electric timing mechanism



July 3, 1962 F. PALLADINO 3,042,762

ELECTRIC TIMING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 17, 1960 'IIIIIIA 'IIIIIIIIIA llln' 'IlI/IIIIIII! FIG.3

I N V EN TOR. [BAA g fiz; 40/4/0 United States Pat ent Ofiiice 3,042,762 Patented July 3, 1962 The present invention relates to electrically operated timing mechanisms of the type that may be manually set into operation, as by means of a coin-controlled slider,

and is automatically shut off at the end of a predetermined period and, more particularly, to such timing apparatus which may be preset to operate a predetermined number of periods in succession before it is automatically shut off, as by the successive release and movement of a coin released slider, of the type of timing mechanisms p generally used for washing machines, dryers, or the like.

Electrically operated timing mechanisms of the character described have heretofore been known. Such timing mechanisms comprise a low-power, low-voltage electric motor that operates an escapement which engages by a tooth thereof and rotates, after a predetermined period of motor operation, a ratchet wheel which is provided on its surface with an upstanding pin. Such mechanism also comprises a concentrically mounted substantially'identical second ratchet wheel which is also provided with a pin or its surface facing the first ratchet wheel. The second wheel has associated means operated by its teeth for opening and closing a switch in thecircuit of the electric motor and is movable, as by a coin slider,

upon insertion of a releasing coin, to move its pin a fixed angular distance away from the pin of the motor controlled ratchet wheel, such movement of the slide operated ratchet wheel also actuates the switch control means for closing the switch of the apparatus. This starts the motor to begin a timing period at the end of which the escapement' operated by the motor moves the ratchet wheel controlled by it to bring its pin into contact with the pin of the slide operated ratchet wheel to move the latter to actuate the switch operating mechanism to break the circuit through the switch. Successive movement of the slide controlled ratchet wheel to displace its pin a multiple of fixed distances from the pin of the motor controlled ratchet wheel will permit the motor to operate a successive number of periods, without a stop, before the pin of the latter ratchet wheel contacts the pin of the slide controlled ratchet wheel, to open the switch and break the circuit through the motor. Y

Timing mechanisms of the character described as heretofore provided presented a certain number of shortcomings. Firstly, the switch opening and closing Structure of the mechanism was relatively involved, complicated, and costly to produce, and prone to go out of order or-to fail in its operation on relatively frequent occasions. Secondly, the motor used in timing devices of the character described is of such low voltage and power that frequently, in damp weather or when used in damp locations, the leakage of current due to the damp- 'ness was suflicient to operate the motor even while the switch in its circuit was open. This caused the motor controlled ratchet wheel to be engaged by the escapement and have its pin forced against the pin of the slide controlled ratchet wheel and, as the latter was fixed in position, to bring about the breaking or destruction of the mechanism. Such occurrences have been, by actual experience, found to account for six percent of the timer replacements necessitated from all causes.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to'

the timing mechanism, to thereby eliminate the need of a substantial amount of replacements of such mechanism.

it is also an object of the present invention to provide a timing mechanism of the character described having improved and simplified means for the automatic closing of the switch and breaking of the circuit through the operating motor at the end of the preset period.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a timing mechanism of the character described which is of generally simplified construction, so that it may be more easily, more quickly and, therefore, more economically assembled.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the coin-controlled timing mechanism of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, and fromthe description following. It is to beunderstood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of theinvention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown. a

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through one embodiment of a timing mechanism of the present invention; with one wall of its housing removed and partly broken away to clarify its construction and operation;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the fully-assembled mechanism of the invention; the broken line indicating a structural arrangement for easy frame assembly; the mechanism being shown at the beginning of a final preset timing period; with the circuit switch in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 2,

' with the top wall removed;

. accompanying drawings, the same is shown to comprise an open-sided preferably rectangular frame which is preferably formed of two separate sections of relatively wide sheet metal strip, including a first section 10, which is bent into U-shape to provide a pair of spaced parallel end walls 12 and 14, and a connecting wall 16, with each of the end walls 12 and 14 provided with a slot 18 adjacent and parallel its free end. A fourth wall 20 of the frame is formed by a strip of metal provided with relatively shallow projections 22 at each endthereof, each of which projections is adapted to fit within a slot 18 of one of the end walls. The frame thus formed may be quickly and easily assembled by slightly spreading apart the end walls 12 and 14 to the extent permitted by the inherent resilience of the metal frame section 10, .to thereby permit the insertion of the projections 22 into the slots 18. I

A small low-power and low-voltage electric motor 24, of the type conventionally used for the purpose, is mounted on the exterior surface of the wall 20 and rotates through a gear train (not shown), a shaft 26 that extends through a suitable opening through the wall 20 that projects on its inner face and carries on its projecting end an escapement wheel 28. The wall 20* supports on its inner face, in normal relation thereto, and in spaced relation to the escapement wheel 28, a post 30, on which is rotatably supported by a central bushing 32 a ratchet wheel 34, the teeth of which are engageable by the spaced teeth 36 of the escapement wheel 28, which may be in the form of spaced upstanding lugs on the periphery of the escapement wheel, as illustrated. The ratchet wheel 34 is resiliently inhibited against rotation on the post by the offset end of a torsion spring 38, whose center is coiled about a pin set into the wall 20, and whose other end is engaged on the wall 20, as within an opening 42 formed therein.

The escapement-driven ratchet wheel 34 is provided with at least one lug, 44, which is preferably struck out from the wheel and extends diagonally upwardly therefrom, on its outer surface, in the direction parallel to its periphery, preferably at an angle of 45 to the inner surface of the ratchet wheel 34. Preferably, a pair of such lugs are provided, diametrically disposed on the wheel relative to one another, and both sloping in the same direction, preferably at the same angle, as illustrated.

Mounted on the post 30, outwardly of the ratchet wheel 34, for free rotational and axial displacement on said post, is a second ratchet wheel 46 substantially identical in size and the number and shape of teeth with the ratchet wheel 34 and spaced from the latter by its bushing 48, which is of a height slightly greater than the height of the lugs 44. The second ratchet wheel 46, which is controlled by a slider, as will hereafter be described in detail, is also formed with one or two struck-out lugs 50 on its inner face, which extend inwardly toward the ratchet wheel 34 at an angle parallel to the lugs 44. The movement of the slider-controlled ratchet wheel 46 is resiliently inhibited against rotation by a cylindrical pin 52, which is mounted intermediate the ends of a bar 54, one end of which is pivotally supported on a pin 56 set into the connecting Wall 16 of the frame member 10 and its opposed end is engaged by a coil spring 58, whose other end is anchored on a struck-out lug 60, in the frame wall 16, in position to normally resiliently hold the pin 52 between a pair of teeth of the second ratchet wheel 46.

The ratchet wheel 46 is provided on its outer surface wiith a sleeve 64, which is preferably connected thereto, that fits loosely and freely over the end of the ratchet wheel mounting post 30 and extends through an opening 66 in the frame wall 16 and carries on its projecting end an insulating tip 68 that engages the spring arm 70 of a snap switch 72 of the type conventionally used for the purpose, which snap switch is mounted on the outer sur- Cit face of the wall 16; the switch being connected electrically in the circuit of the motor 24.

The ratchet wheel 46 is actuated by a pall 74, which is mounted on or is integrally formed with a slide bar 76 that is supported and guided by its side extensions 7 78 in guide slots 80 formed in the walls 16 and 20 of the frame. The guide slots 80 are so arranged that in the reciprocation of the slide bar 76' therein the pall 74 will engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 46 to rotate it against the tension of the pin 56, to displace the latter from its position between one pair of teeth of the ratchet wheel 46 to an adjacent pair of teeth and the slide bar 76 is preferably so limited in its movement that it will only rotate the wheel an angular distance defined by one of its teeth and is maintained in position against the tooth it engages, at the end of each wheel movement, by a coil tension spring 82, one end of which is secured to the frame, as to the wall 12, and the other end of which is secured to the slide bar 76. If desired, one of the slide bar extensions 78 may be provided with an ear 84 projecting to the exterior of the frame from a guide slot 80, to which may be connected a counter or register (not shown). The slide bar 76 is provided with means such as the ofiset end, 86, which may be engaged by a manually operated coin-released slide bar for movement against the tension of the spring 82, to wind it for return reciprocation, to engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 46 to rotate it an angle represented by the width of the base of the tooth.

This completes the description of the construction of the timing mechanism of the present invention. As the coin-released mechanism for moving the slide bar 76 may be of any conventional form, many of which are well known to those skilled in the art, its'role in the operation of the timing device of the present invention will be omitted in such description. The timing mechanism of the present invention is so constructed and arranged that when the lugs 44 and 50 of the wheels 34 and 46 are in parallel overlapping relation, the sleeve 64 connected to the wheel 46 and its insulated tip 68 are withdrawn inwardly into and toward the frame, and the snap switch 72 is in closed position, to close the circuit through the motor 24. Operation of the motor will rotate the escapement 28 at such rate that, after a predetermined period of motor running, one of the escapement teeth will engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 34 to rotate it in the direction of the lugs 50 of the ratchet wheel causing the latter lugs to slide up on the lugs 44 and move the ratchet wheel 46', its sleeve 64 and its insulated tip 68 outwardly against the spring arm of the switch 72, to break the circuit through the motor and stop its operation.

A succeeding movement of the slide bar 76 will rotate the ratchet wheel 46 in a direction to displace its lugs 50 away from the lugs 44 of the wheel 34, permitting the spring 70 of the snap switch 72 to press the sleeve 64 and ratchet wheel 46 inwardly and thereby move itself into switch-closing position to renew the cycle.

If the slide bar 76 is reciprocated successively a number of times, as three, for instance, it will rotate the wheel 46 through an angle represented by the movement of three of its teeth. This will space its lugs three unit distances away from the last position of the lugs 44 of the wheel 34, and, after the final reciprocation of the slide bar 76, the snap'switch will remain in closed position to operate the motor 24. Operation of the motor will rotate the escapement 28 through three preset periods at the end of each of which one of the escapement teeth will engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 34, to rotate the latter wheel to bring its lugs 44 a single distance unit towards the lugs 50 of the ratchet wheel 46, and at the end of the third motor operating period will have the lugs 44 of the ratchet wheel 34 engage under the lugs 50 of the ratchet wheel 46 to push the latter outwardly and press the resilient switch arm 70 into switch-breaking position.

It may here be stated that to limit the outer movement of the slide-actuated ratchet wheel 46, so as to prevent the gliding movement of its lugs 50 over and beyond the lugs 44 of the ratchet wheel 34, a loose sleeve 88, which may be in the form of an eyelet, may be mounted intermediate the ratchet wheel 46 and the inner face of the wall 16, to contact the edges of the opening 66, so as to limit the movement of the wheel 46 in the direction of said wall.

It will be apparent that the timing mechanism of the present invention provides simpler means for the automatic actuating of the associated snap switch into circuitbreaking position; a mechanism that is positive and direct in its operation and most unlikely to skip or go out of order. It will also be apparent that, because of the free rotational and sliding movement of the ratchet wheel 46, on its supporting post, the inadvertent operation of the motor, as by leaked current while the switch 72 is in open position, as heretofore explained, will merely cause the escapement 28 to rotate and the latter to rotate the ratchet wheel 34, whose lugs 44 are in engagement with lugs 50 of the wheel 46, and that the latter will rotate freely without any damage or breakdown of the mechanism and without closing the snap switch 72 that might put the apparatus controlled by the timing mechanism to work. It will be additionally apparent that because of the frame construction described above, the assembly of the mechanism of the present invention is greatly simplified, speeded and made more economical.

It will also be apparent that numerous modifications and variations in the timing mechanism of the present invention may be made by anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth, and without the exercise of any inventive comprising a fourth wall section for said frame adapted ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and \r all such modifications and variations that may be made within the spirit of the present invention and scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is: p

1. An electric timing mechanism of the character described comprising a low-power, low-voltage electric motor connected in an electric circuit, an escapement member having spaced teeth operable by said motor, a first ratchet wheel, means rotatably supporting said first ratchet wheel in position for engagement of a tooth thereof by the said escapement member for rotation thereby, a second ratchet wheel, means mounting said second ratchet wheel coaxially with said first ratchet wheel and in spaced relation thereto for rotational movement and for movement towards and away from said first ratchet wheel, manually engageable means for rotating said first ratchet wheel, a projection on the side of each of said ratchet wheels facing the other, said projections overlapping one another and having parallel, sloping, facing surfaces, whereby rotation of said first ratchet wheel will bring said projections in contact and axially displace said second ratchet wheel away from said first ratchet wheel, a normally closed switch in the circuit of said electric motor and means on said second-ratchet wheel engaging saidswitch for opening the same upon axial movement of said second ratchet wheel away from said first ratchet wheel.

2. The electric timing mechanism of claim 1, wherein each of said ratchet wheels is provided with a pair of said projections diametrically alined thereon.

3. The electric timing mechanism of claim- 1, wherein said facing, sloping surfaces of said projections on said ratchet wheels are each formed at an angle of approximately 45 to the face of said ratchet wheels.

4. The electric timing mechanism of claim 1, including a frame having a wall section, said motorand said escapement member supported on said frame wall section and said means rotatably supporting said first ratchet wheel comprises a shaft mounted on said frame wall section, said second ratchet wheel mounted on said shaft, and said member movable by said second ratchet wheel on its axial displacement.

5. The electric timing mechanism of claim 1, including a frame having a wall section, said motor and said escapement member supported on said frame wallsection and said means rotatably supporting said first ratchet wheel comprises a shaft mounted on said frame Wall section, said second ratchet wheel mounted on said shaft, and said member movable by said second ratchet wheel on its axial displacement comprises a sleeve freely mounted over the end of said shaft and projecting thereabove and movable with said second ratchet wheel.

6. The electric timing mechanism of claim 1, including a frame wall section, said motor and said escapement member supported on said frame wall section and said means rotatably supporting saidfirst ratchet wheel comprises a shaft mounted on said frame wall section, said second ratchetwheel mounted on said shaft, and'said member movable by said second ratchet wheel on its axial displacesaid second ratchet wheel to prevent the movement of said projections past one another.

8. The electric timing mechanism of claim 1, including a substantially rectangular supporting frame comprising a U-shaped metallic strip having a pair of spaced side wall 6 sections and a connecting wall section, said side wall sections each having a slot adjacent its end and a plate to fit between the ends of said spaced side wall sections, said plate having a projection at each end thereof engageable within a slot in one of said side wall sections; said motor, said escapement member and said ratchet wheel mounted on said plate and said switch mounted on said connecting wall sections.

9. The electric timing mechanism of claim 8, wherein said means moving said second ratchet wheel comprises a slide plate having a pawl provided thereon and means on said connecting side and said plate reciprocably supporting and guiding said slide plate for engagement of said pawl against a tooth of said second ratchet wheel upon movement of said slide plate in one direction.

' 10. An electric timing mechanism of the character described comprising a low-power, low-voltage electric motor connected in an electric circuit, an escapement member having spaced teeth operable by said motor, a first ratchet Wheel, means rotatably supporting said .first ratchet wheel in position for engagement of a tooth thereofby the said escapement member for rotation thereby, resilient means inhibiting the rotation of said first ratchet wheel, a second ratchet wheel co-axially wit-h'said first ratchet wheel and in spaced relation thereto for rotational movement and for movement towards and away from said first ratchet wheel, manually engageable means for rotating said first ratchet wheel, resilient means inhibiting the rotation of said first ratchet wheel, a projection on the side of each of said ratchet wheels facing the other, said projections overlapping one another and having parallel, sloping, facing surfaces, whereby rotation of said first ratchet wheel will bring said projections in contact and axially displace said second ratchet wheel away from said first ratchet wheel, a normally closed switch in the circuit of said electric motor and means on said second ratchet wheel engaging said switch for opening the same upon axial movement of said second ratchet wheel away from said first ratchet wheel.

11. The electric timing mechanism of claim 10, including a frame having a wall section, said motor and said escapement member supported on said frame wall section and said means rotatably supporting said first ratchet nected in an electric circuit mounted on one of said wall.

sections, an escapement wheel having spaced teeth rotatably mounted on said first one wall section facing the second of said wall sections, a shaft mounted on said one wall section in normal relation thereto and extending toward said second wall section, a first ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft in position to have a tooth thereof engageable by a tooth of said ratchet wheel upon rotation of said ratchet wheel, a second ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft in spaced relation to said first ratchet wheel, said second ratchet wheel axially movable on said shaft relative to said first ratchet wheel, a projection on the side of each of said ratchet wheels facing the other, said projections overlapping one another and having parallel, sloping, facing surfaces whereby the rotation of said first ratchet wheel will bring said sloping faces of said projections in contact and axially displace said second ratchet wheel away from said first ratchet wheel, a sleeve mounted over the end of said shaft and connected to said second ratchet wheel for movement therewith, a snap switch connected in the circuit of said electric motor mounted on the second of said wall sections, said snap 7 switch having its spring arm overlying the end of said sleeve, said sleeve having an insulating tip engaging said spring arm, and means engageable against a tooth of said ratchet wheel for rotating the same.

14. The electric timing mechanism of claim 13, wherein 5 resilient means are provided for inhibiting the rotation of each of said ratchet wheels.

' 15. The electric timing: mechanism of claim 13, wherein the means for rotating said second ratchet wheel comprises a slide bar having a pawl extension and means on said wall sections for supporting and guiding said slide ratchet Wheel totprevent the movement of said projections past one another. I

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Powers et al. Feb. 19, 1957 2,816,969 Gallagher et a1. Dec. 17, 1957 

